Very Small-Scale Solar Power for Ham Use?
Greetings to everyone.
This is only satellite-related in the most peripheral sense, but since much of our equipment requires electricity, I hope it’s a valid question.
I’m normally very good with Google searches, but for some reason I’m coming up empty on this one.
In the U.S. (and probably elsewhere), it’s common now to see highway signs and stand-alone telemetry installations installed with a small solar panel and a utility box that I assume protects a charge regulator and battery for night operations.
I have an interest in duplicating this type of setup for experimental antenna installations that are too far from my house to conveniently run normal power, as well as for portable use.
I don’t know if the installations that I see on the highway are turn-key setups (solar panel, charge controller, battery) or if they have been pieced together sized to fit the need.
Naturally, the question of power requirements would affect the response from those of you who might be particularly knowledgeable about this kind of thing. I’m talking about the low end... just enough to power things like a wi-fi router, USB webcam, or perhaps a small notebook PC charger or Raspberry Pi... that kind of thing. At the high end, perhaps a small AZ-only TV rotator which would be a VERY intermittent draw.
Anyway, if anyone is already providing for small power needs in this fashion, or is familiar with the installs that I see along the road, I sure would appreciate your input.
Further, one would assume that it would be cheaper to DIY this... so recommendations for small outdoor solar/charger/battery discrete components would of course be helpful, too.
Thanks!
-Scott, K4KDR Montpelier, VA USA
It is very easy to design a stand-alone solar power system. Just add up the power requirements of your loads, taking into the account the duty cycles. Then multiply by 24 hours to come up with your daily AMP-hour requirement.
Then get a battery that is probably 5 or more times that capacity (to live 5 days with bad weather and to minimize daily discharge). Then get a solar panel that can provide at least 8 times that Amp rating (because you can only assume about 4 solid sun hours a day (which has to provide 24 hours of power)) and this gives you a factor of 2 margin. Something like that anyway.
Bob, WB4APR
-----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Scott Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 3:20 PM To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Very Small-Scale Solar Power for Ham Use?
Greetings to everyone.
This is only satellite-related in the most peripheral sense, but since much of our equipment requires electricity, I hope it’s a valid question.
I’m normally very good with Google searches, but for some reason I’m coming up empty on this one.
In the U.S. (and probably elsewhere), it’s common now to see highway signs and stand-alone telemetry installations installed with a small solar panel and a utility box that I assume protects a charge regulator and battery for night operations.
I have an interest in duplicating this type of setup for experimental antenna installations that are too far from my house to conveniently run normal power, as well as for portable use.
I don’t know if the installations that I see on the highway are turn-key setups (solar panel, charge controller, battery) or if they have been pieced together sized to fit the need.
Naturally, the question of power requirements would affect the response from those of you who might be particularly knowledgeable about this kind of thing. I’m talking about the low end... just enough to power things like a wi-fi router, USB webcam, or perhaps a small notebook PC charger or Raspberry Pi... that kind of thing. At the high end, perhaps a small AZ-only TV rotator which would be a VERY intermittent draw.
Anyway, if anyone is already providing for small power needs in this fashion, or is familiar with the installs that I see along the road, I sure would appreciate your input.
Further, one would assume that it would be cheaper to DIY this... so recommendations for small outdoor solar/charger/battery discrete components would of course be helpful, too.
Thanks!
-Scott, K4KDR Montpelier, VA USA _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
What Bob said,
or you can go to TESSCO website and I'm sure others and they have off the shelf solutions.
73, Roger W7TZ CN83ia
On Wed, Aug 31, 2016 at 1:28 PM, Robert Bruninga bruninga@usna.edu wrote:
It is very easy to design a stand-alone solar power system. Just add up the power requirements of your loads, taking into the account the duty cycles. Then multiply by 24 hours to come up with your daily AMP-hour requirement.
Then get a battery that is probably 5 or more times that capacity (to live 5 days with bad weather and to minimize daily discharge). Then get a solar panel that can provide at least 8 times that Amp rating (because you can only assume about 4 solid sun hours a day (which has to provide 24 hours of power)) and this gives you a factor of 2 margin. Something like that anyway.
Bob, WB4APR
-----Original Message----- From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Scott Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 3:20 PM To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Very Small-Scale Solar Power for Ham Use?
Greetings to everyone.
This is only satellite-related in the most peripheral sense, but since much of our equipment requires electricity, I hope it’s a valid question.
I’m normally very good with Google searches, but for some reason I’m coming up empty on this one.
In the U.S. (and probably elsewhere), it’s common now to see highway signs and stand-alone telemetry installations installed with a small solar panel and a utility box that I assume protects a charge regulator and battery for night operations.
I have an interest in duplicating this type of setup for experimental antenna installations that are too far from my house to conveniently run normal power, as well as for portable use.
I don’t know if the installations that I see on the highway are turn-key setups (solar panel, charge controller, battery) or if they have been pieced together sized to fit the need.
Naturally, the question of power requirements would affect the response from those of you who might be particularly knowledgeable about this kind of thing. I’m talking about the low end... just enough to power things like a wi-fi router, USB webcam, or perhaps a small notebook PC charger or Raspberry Pi... that kind of thing. At the high end, perhaps a small AZ-only TV rotator which would be a VERY intermittent draw.
Anyway, if anyone is already providing for small power needs in this fashion, or is familiar with the installs that I see along the road, I sure would appreciate your input.
Further, one would assume that it would be cheaper to DIY this... so recommendations for small outdoor solar/charger/battery discrete components would of course be helpful, too.
Thanks!
-Scott, K4KDR Montpelier, VA USA _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (3)
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Robert Bruninga -
Roger -
Scott